


A Place to Call Home

by flowersandmurders



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Photographer!Keith, Pineapple on Pizza Discourse, it's happy then sad then happy, shiro works at an animal shelter, they;re in l o v e
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 12:02:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11252775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowersandmurders/pseuds/flowersandmurders
Summary: Keith was just looking for a place to stay. Instead, he found a home.





	A Place to Call Home

**Author's Note:**

> this was written for tumblr user lunarymagic, as a part of stargazershiro's Voltron positivity project on Tumblr! Hope you enjoy!

Keith wasn’t someone who noticed people. He stayed in his own lane- lived his life with minimal outside contact. It made it easier to keep moving that way. Easier to press forwards, attempting to satisfy the restlessness in his bones, when there weren’t people holding you back. So he ignored them. Even now, pushing through the crowded train station, Keith planned to simply  _ keep moving  _ until he found a cab and a hotel. He didn’t plan on stopping, dead in his tracks at the sight of a man. 

He wasn’t even doing anything eye catching- just leaning against a pole, staring at something on his phone with a small smile. He had grey eyes, framed by thick lashes. They sat just above a wide scar that stretched across his nose. His hair was black, save for one white tuft at the front, and kept in an undercut. 

He wasn’t even dressed in anything particularly eye catching- a flannel shirt over  a tee shirt with a logo Keith didn’t recognize on it and a pair of dark jeans. The hand tucked into his pocket looked like it was made of metal rather than skin.  He was handsome, Keith would admit. But usually it took more than  _ handsomeness  _ to catch Keith’s attention. It certainly took more than that to keep it. But here he was, staring. 

Maybe it was the fact that something about the sight of him made him irrationally angry. Keith wasn’t a man to get angry at strangers. He usually didn’t pay enough attention to them to care either way. 

He tried to do that now- tried to shake his head and move along. Unfortunately for Keith, it seemed that he wasn’t getting away that easily. Just before he could look away, those grey eyes met his, and the small smile on the stranger’s face grew to a grin. Keith frowned deeply in reply, tearing his gaze away and heading forwards. It was simple. All he had to do was keep moving, catch a cab, and forget about this strange moment once and for all. He just had to keep moving. He could do that.

“Hey! Hey there!”

Or not.

Keith paused, looking over his shoulder to see the man approaching him. His frown deepened. People didn’t usually approach him- and not on accident. Everything about him seemed to give people the idea that he was about to stab them or snap at them- from his leather gloves to his messy hair and indigo eyes. He wasn’t the kind of guy you just  _ approached  _ on the street. He was definitely not the kind of guy that you beamed at and held your hand out to, though that was just what this man was doing. 

“My name’s Shiro,” the grey eyed man said, hand still outstretched between them. Keith stared at him until he put it down. 

“Keith,” he replied, gloved hands adjusting the straps of his worn backpack. Maybe he was some kind of church person, in disguise. Keith almost hoped he was- it’d be easy to get rid of him. 

“Keith,” Shiro repeated, almost-too-friendly smile still in place. “Nice to meet you.”

Keith made a neutral noise in reply, gaze sliding from those eyes to look for a sign of a cab approaching. That irrational anger hadn’t quite faded, and Keith wasn’t sure why. Glancing back at him, Keith looked for any of the normal markers of someone trying to do him harm. 

He looked like he was a fighter, sure- big muscles, scar on his face and on the back of the hand that had been offered a moment ago. Military, Keith would guess. But the soft set of his shoulders and the softer set of his mouth didn’t read like someone who was preparing to give him a hard time. Shiro looked completely relaxed- warm and inviting. Something about it made Keith want to hit him. Instead he tightened his hands on his backpack and tuned in to what he was saying. 

“You could stay with me, if you want.”

Keith blinked, rocking back a step. Maybe he should have been paying attention. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

He expected to be teased- expected Shiro to shake his head and walk away, mind changed forever. Instead he just laughed, pushing back his hair with his flesh hand and somehow managing to look even more inviting. Keith kept his hands as still as he could while he stared. 

“I was saying that you look like you’re new in town,” Shiro said, hand returning to his pocket. “It’s a small town, Arus, and it’s the off season so most of the places to stay are closed down. But, um, I’ve got a spare room at my apartment, if you wanted to stay with me, rent free.” He chuckled again, eyes gleaming in a friendly manner as he added, “I won’t even murder you or anything.”

“Gee, thanks,” Keith responded, smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Shiro’s eyes lit up and he leaned in a bit. 

“Is that a yes, then?” he asked, smile playing at his lips. Keith hesitated. 

On the one hand, this was a strange man in a strange town offering him a place to stay. Joking promise not to murder him aside, it was kind of sketchy. Keith may not know a lot about people, but he knew they weren’t  _ that  _ nice without some kind of catch. 

On the other hand, he was low on cash. He’d been in a rush to get out of the last town, and barely scraped together enough money to buy his ticket. Unless he wanted to live off of the soup cans currently pressing against his back, he’d have to find a cheap place to stay. 

In the end, however, it came down to one thing. Looking Shiro over again, Keith waited for some kind of gut feeling telling him that he was going to regret this, or that he was going to be in some kind of danger. He didn’t get either. What he did get was a distinct feeling of  _ warmth _ . 

“It’s not a no,” Keith finally replied, shrugging as he looked away. Shiro’s face split into a grin. 

“Great!” Shiro said, metal hand moving towards Keith- as if to pat his shoulder. Shiro stopped himself at the last minute, though, pulling his arm back and adopting a far more reserved stance. Keith wondered why. 

“I, um, I parked this way,” Shiro said, turning on his heel and leaving the moment behind. 

Keith briefly considered running. Considered grabbing a cab and going as far as the money in his backpack could take him and leaving this strange encounter behind. 

“You coming?” Shiro called, pausing when he saw that Keith hadn’t moved. Keith sighed. 

“Yeah,” he said, striding after him. “I’m coming.”

 

The ride to the apartment was short and only mildly awkward. Shiro asked the usual sort of questions- where did he come from, how long was he staying, what did he do for a living. Keith gave the usual answers- a town a few hours west of there, not long, and photographer. Shiro had seemed genuinely interested in that last answer, asking some casual questions that Keith answered as briefly as possible. Shiro had gone on to talk about another photographer in town- a name Keith forgot almost as soon as it was spoken. 

“He talks big about moving to some flashy town like L.A. or New York and working with those big name models, but I think he likes the ocean too much not to take pictures of it.”

Shiro had then asked if Keith liked the ocean, to which he’d replied ‘Not particularly’, and from there the conversation had died until they reached the dark green door of Shiro’s apartment. 

“My usual roommate, Matt, he’s out on an expedition,” Shiro said, kicking his shoes off by the door and putting his keys on a hook. “He’s a microbiologist, works with ice? So he’s enjoying the Antarctic for the next six months, so you can have his room at least until he gets back.”

Keith hummed in response, slipping his shoes off next to Shiro’s, then looking around the place. It was big enough- a small entryway between a kitchen and a sitting room. The furniture was simple and covered in throw pillows of all shapes and colors, as well as piled high with blankets. A coffee table in the middle of the living room had a half finished chess game on it, along with a stack of books. 

Three doors were on the far right wall- two of which were opened, one to reveal a bathroom and the other revealing a slightly messy room with a bright orange bed. The third door was closed tight.

“That’s Matt’s room,” Shiro said, gesturing towards the room with the orange bed. “You can drop your bag there.”

Keith turned to Shiro, eyebrow arched. 

“And you’re sure your roommate wouldn’t mind a dirty stranger being in his room while he’s gone?”

“You know, just so long as you don’t mess up his conspiracy board, I think he’ll be alright with it,” he said, grey eyes sparkling. 

“Depends on how good the board is,” Keith replied, smile starting to grow on his face. Shiro laughed, and Keith found himself staring just a moment too long. He blinked, quickly turning his gaze away as he moved towards the bedroom. 

It didn’t take long for Keith to drop his backpack on the bed, shrug his jacket off, and start to take a look around the place. All sorts of awards and pictures littered the tops of the dresser and nightstand. Some were of a small kid in glasses, others were of a dog. Most were of a family. Keith lifted one of those pictures, staring closely at the faces of all involved. They were laughing- two kids, two parents, and a dog. It looked like the kind of family you’d find on the back of some magazine. Keith wondered what it was like to have that. 

A knock on the doorframe pulled Keith from his thoughts. Hastily putting the picture down, he looked up to see Shiro standing there, phone in hand. Keith half expected to be in trouble- to have crossed some line and to have to leave. He was steeling himself against the inevitable words, when Shiro said something else instead. 

“I was gonna order pizza,” he said, pulling a take out menu from his back pocket. “Thought I’d ask if you have something you usually order.”

“Not really,” Keith shrugged. “I’m not picky.”

“Oh?” Shiro asked, tucking the menu away again and staring at Keith for a long moment. He seemed to be mulling something over. Keith crossed his arms while he stared, shifting his weight from foot to foot. 

“What about… pineapple?” Shiro asked, brow quirking at the last word. Keith wasn’t quite sure what was so important about pineapple, but he also didn’t feel like he had any reason to lie. 

“Pineapple is fine,” he said, watching closely for Shiro’s reaction.

Shiro sighed, shaking his head in a solemn manner. Keith’s eyes narrowed. 

“I should have known from the looks of you,” Shiro said, turning on his heel and walking away. Keith stood still for a moment, confused frown on his face. 

“Should have known what?” he demanded, following Shiro into the living room. 

“Should have known that you’re the ‘pineapples on pizza’ type,” Shiro said, smile hovering around his mouth and a glint of mischief in his eyes. Keith scoffed, hands coming to rest on his hips. Two could play at this game. 

“And what type is that, exactly?” he asked, smile threatening to split across his face. 

“The heathenous type,” Shiro replied. Keith probably would have taken him seriously if his lips hadn’t twitched. 

“That’s funny,” Keith said, adopting a casual posture as he walked around the coffee table, settling in on the couch. “I’ve always heard that the heathens were those who  _ didn’t  _ like pineapple pizza.”

“Oh no,” Shiro said, punching in the number and bringing the phone to his ear. “I’m quite certain.”

“Well then,” Keith said, meeting Shiro’s gaze and leaning back into the couch. “Why don’t you ask them?”

“Hm?”

“The pizza place,” Keith said, making a loose gesture towards the phone. “They’re experts in the stuff, after all.”

There was a long moment of silence, Shiro staring at Keith and Keith staring right back. It was almost a battle of wills, each of them waiting for the other to pull back at the last moment or to say that they were just joking. Neither of them budged. 

Distantly, Keith heard someone answer the phone, listing off the welcome message in an impatient tone. 

“Yes, I have a question,” Shiro said, gaze not wavering for a second. “Pineapples on pizza- is that heathenous or not?”

Silence from the other end of the phone.

“I’m sorry?”

“Pineapples,” Shiro repeated. “When you put them on pizza? Does that make you a heathen or not?”

There was another long silence, and then the line went dead. Shiro and Keith managed to keep eye contact for a moment longer before doubling over into laughter. Keith couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so hard. 

“I guess pizza’s out then,” Shiro said, leaning back into the couch and grinning at Keith. 

“They didn’t even answer our question,” Keith said, smiling back. Shiro chuckled.

“Oh well,” he said with a shrug. He punched a new number into his phone and brought it to his ear. “There’s a pretty good Chinese place that delivers.” He gave Keith a secretive wink.  “Maybe they’ll have the answer.”

 

They fell into a routine faster than Keith wanted to admit. Shiro worked during the days,  leaving Keith to explore the picturesque town. It seemed no matter where he wandered, he found something that surprised him- something that made him want to stop and capture the moment. The waves crashing against a rock on a beach. A bird sitting on a branch in a tree. The way the sun lit up the rolling hills in the distance. It was peaceful. 

When Keith was done taking pictures for the day, he wandered towards a small cafe, tucked away from the touristy streets and vendors. Keith had found it his first week there, and come to love the exposed brick walls and simple booths. Often times he’d order a coffee and then sit for hours, sifting through his photos and blocking out the noise of the world. 

Occasionally the barista, a large man with dark eyes and brown skin with a nametag that read ‘Hello! My name is: Hunk’, would offer his opinion on the shots when he came by with refills. Keith didn’t mind the criticism, taking it in stride, and occasionally applying it. He had a keen eye. 

His first week was also when he’d crossed paths with the other photographer that Shiro had mentioned. He’d found him on the beach. Keith had been exploring, taking advantage of a cold day that had driven most of the tourists indoors. The sea had been a steely color that reminded Keith of what Shiro’s eyes looked like, and he figured it’d be a good idea to snap a few shots. That’s when he’d spotted him- a tall man with bright blue eyes and brown hair, taking pictures of the ocean. Keith would have been happy to simply ignore the man and go on taking pictures of his own, but it seemed that would not be the case. A very loud conversation had occurred, the brown skinned boy yelling about how his fiercest rival had come once more to take his gallery spot from him, but not this time! This time, he would win! He had then stormed off, leaving Keith quite confused. Later, he’d learned that his name was Lance and that they had apparently met two years ago in New York. All Keith remembered about living in New York was making enough money to spend some time in London. 

Shiro had laughed when Keith told him that story. It made Keith want to tell more stories. And as the days turned into weeks, he found he had them. Something funny that Hunk had said, some banter with Lance that Keith was never quite clear on the sincerity of. And in return, he listened to the stories of Shiro’s day- about how he helped a certain dog find the right home, or some trouble he’d had with a cat or some other animal. It was an easy flow to fall into. Keith lived his life, Shiro lived his, and at the end of the day, they came together. 

Weekends were especially nice. Keith took his camera, and Shiro would lead him around, finding the best hidden views and telling stories of what it was like when he’d discovered them. Then came the coffee, and sometimes food, while they talked and looked through the pictures to find the very best ones. Even though the routine was the same for Keith, something about how Shiro led the way through the streets and talked about the little town made it all the more… relaxing. 

It was after one such day that they found themselves sitting together at the apartment, flipping through the newly edited photos to try and pick their favorites. Not much was said, simply a word or two in favor of one or another.

“I think this one is the winner,” Keith said, flipping to a picture of the sea. There was a storm blowing in, if the wind and clouds had anything to say about it. The waves had been particularly rough, and Shiro had helped Keith to find just the right spot to sit to capture them in all their glory. 

“That’s a good one,” Shiro agreed, yawning as he looked at the photograph. Keith chuckled, closing the laptop. 

“You should get some rest,” he urged, as though he wasn’t planning on staying up until an unholy hour himself. Shiro shook his head, leaning back into the cushions of the couch.

“I’ll be fine,” he said, metal hand waving through the air dismissively. “It’s nice, being able to spend some time with you.”

Keith blinked, taken aback by that statement. It wasn’t something that he heard often. It wasn’t something that he heard at all. Something inside him stirred- that old restless feeling- prompting him to get up. He walked to the kitchen, silently pulling out a glass from the cupboard and pouring himself some water. Shiro was sitting upright when he got back to the couch. 

“You’re really good with that camera of yours,” he said, grey eyed gaze a little too intense for the comment to be a casual one. “You ever think about opening up a gallery someplace? Showing your pictures off to a broader audience?”

Keith shrugged, avoiding Shiro’s gaze as he settled back into the couch. He could feel what was coming, and he wasn’t keen on talking about it. 

“Not really,” he said. “I mostly just sell what I can when I need to. Use the money to get a ticket out of wherever I am.” 

“Never liked anywhere enough to stay?” Shiro asked, leaning  his forearms on his legs. 

“Never really stayed anywhere long enough to like it,” Keith admitted, leaning back into the pile of throw pillows. He could feel Shiro’s gaze on him- unwavering, just like Shiro himself. 

“You’ve been here a while now,” he commented, with that same intensity from before. 

“I guess.”

“Does that mean you like it?”

That restlessness stirred in Keith. He stood again, beginning to pace in front of the coffee table. Shiro’s gaze never left him. 

“It’s not like I can stay here long,” Keith said, brushing the question aside. “I don’t think Matt would take kindly to finding me sleeping in his bed when he gets home.”

“You’d stay until he got home?”

Keith turned sharply on his heel, walking into the kitchen to get himself some more water. He didn’t want to  _ think  _ about this, much less have it be the topic of conversation. Maybe if he was quiet long enough, Shiro would just move on. 

“Keith?” 

Or not. 

“I- I’m tired,” Keith said, setting the glass down on the counter. “I’m going to bed.”

Shiro’s face fell, stepping in front of Keith before he could brush past him. Keith refused to meet his eyes, gaze firmly on the floor. 

“You don’t have to stay,” Shiro said, voice soft. Even without looking, Keith knew that his eyes were just as soft. “But… you don’t have to go either, you know.”

Keith was silent for a long moment. 

“Goodnight, Shiro.”

With that, he pushed past the taller man and fell onto the too orange bed, drifting to sleep with thoughts of grey eyes and futures that could never be. 

 

The storm waited a few days to roll in, the sky growing steadily darker as it did. Keith started staying out more, spending more time at the cafe, fiddling with photos for longer than he needed to, and making Hunk worry for as long as he had a shift. He stayed out late enough to take photos of the stars, only coming home after he was sure that Shiro had gone to bed for the night. 

It was lonely. Keith felt it. Reheating the food left on the counter was nowhere near as nice as sitting and eating with Shiro. If he was honest, he missed the conversation. The soft, comforting feeling his presence brought. But it was also for the best. Keith couldn’t stay long. Maybe he’d already stayed too long. 

These kind of thoughts plagued him late one night, the storm raging outside. Lightning lit the room with a flash, illuminating the cold pizza Shiro had left on the coffee table. A note on the box said it was pineapple free- and that Keith could decide whether it made them heathens or not. Keith smiled sadly. Maybe it was time for him to go. 

Thunder rumbled as Keith sat on the couch, thoughts storming worse than the weather. It would be easy to go. He could just pack his bag and go- find a new place to stay or maybe steal a car. He didn’t  _ like _ stealing, per se, but sometimes it was necessary- the only way to get out when he’d been somewhere too long. He could always try to sell some of the pictures first. 

Lightning struck again. Keith heard a distant crashing sound from Shiro’s room. Without a thought, he stood, walking to the door.

“Shiro?” he called, brow furrowed. “Are you alright in there?”

There was no reply. Keith’s frown deepened, his hand coming to rest on the doorknob. 

“Shiro?” he called again, knocking on the door as well. No response. Keith’s hand fell from the doorknob. He took a step back. Keith told himself that Shiro had probably just knocked something over in his sleep- that he was fine. He ignored the feeling in his gut that told him something was wrong and settled onto the couch as lightning struck once more. 

Thunder rolled. Another crash came, this time with a small yell. Keith was opening the door to Shiro’s room before he could convince himself not to. 

Keith was familiar with every room in the house, save for Shiro’s. Despite having been there for nearly a month, he’d never caught so much as a glimpse inside. Keith wasn’t quite sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t what he saw. 

Unlike the rest of the apartment, which Shiro tended to keep clean and tidy, his bedroom was a mess. Clothes were piled on the floor, drawers were half opened, dresser tops were piled high with various items of laundry and what looked like empty plastic water bottles.

A broken lamp was on the floor next to the bed, as well as what looked like a shattered picture frame. Shiro himself sat, curled in a ball near the headboard, looking out the window with a far away look in his eye. His prosthetic was off, and a glance around found it on the floor. It looked like Shiro had thrown it. 

“Shiro?” Keith asked, entering the room slowly. “Shiro, are you alright?”

Shiro’s attention snapped to Keith. He took in an unsteady breath, shaking his head. 

“You shouldn’t be here, Keith,” Shiro said, shoulders slumping as he turned his attention back to the window. “It’s- I’m not safe. For you. You need to go.”

_ Yeah, tell me about it,  _ Keith thought, pushing farther into the room. He made sure to step over the piles of clothes, and avoided the shards of broken lamp. Socks could only protect you from so much, and it was too late to get his army boots from the foyer. 

“Keith…” Shiro said, scooting to the edge of his bed, gaze shifting anxiously between the black haired boy and the window. “Please. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me,” Keith assured him, sitting himself on the edge of the bed. The mattress creaked under him. “I’m tougher than I look.”

“I know that.”

Lightning struck outside, and every muscle in Shiro’s body stiffened. Keith frowned, moving closer and hesitantly sitting himself next to Shiro. Thunder rumbled. Shiro lashed out, kicking at a foe that Keith couldn’t see. Panic was written, clear as day across his face. Keith didn’t like seeing that one bit.

“Shiro,” he said, hand coming to rest on his shoulder. Shiro flinched away from the contact, turning to Keith with a look in his eyes that worried him more than anything else had.

“Shiro,” he repeated, hand coming to slowly rest on his face. His chin was rough to the touch, like he hadn’t shaved in a day or two. This time, Shiro leaned into the contact, breathing slowly and letting his eyes close. 

“You’re alright,” Keith said. “You’re safe. Nothing can hurt you- not while I’m here.”

Keith didn’t believe in lying, but the words weren’t a lie. While Keith was there, he wouldn’t let a single thing touch him. Shiro chuckled sadly, opening his eyes.

“They already did,” he whispered, voice broken. “And they do. Every time I fall asleep, they hurt me all over again.”

“Well, that’s because I wasn’t there before,” Keith said resolutely, brow furrowed. “But I’m here now, so they won’t get to you.”

Keith felt a bit like a child, offering to help fight away the monsters in a closet with a toy sword. Except this time, the monsters were real and Keith’s sword was still imaginary. But, he didn’t know what else to do. Shiro was so scared, and if there was something Keith hated it was seeing Shiro scared. 

“Promise?” Shiro asked, smiling softly at Keith. “Promise to be here?”

“I promise.” How could he say no with those grey eyes staring at him like that?

Slowly, Shiro began to uncurl. In no time at all, the pair were under the covers, Keith one one side and Shiro on the other. 

“How are you supposed to fight of the monsters from all the way over there?” Shiro asked. He was teasing, Keith knew it. But when the lightning struck, and Shiro grew tense again, Keith was there- wrapping his arms around him and leaning their foreheads together. 

“Just... just focus on me, okay?” Keith said, eyes focused on Shiro. He still looked so panicked, and Keith could feel the tension in every muscle as he counted down the seconds until the thunder rolled. 

“They can’t hurt you while I’m here.”

Shiro tried to smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

Thunder rolled and Shiro sucked in an uneven breath, staring at Keith more intently than Keith had been stared at in his entire life. It felt as if he could see all the way to Keith’s core- looking for even the slightest bit of fear or doubt. In this moment, he would find none, because in this moment he was invincible. Because Shiro needed him to be. 

Slowly, the moment faded. Shiro relaxed, arm moving from his side to wrap around Keith. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, a softness in his eyes that Keith had never seen before. At least, not up close. 

“You’re welcome,” Keith whispered back, small smile stretching across his face. 

Lightning struck, but Shiro didn’t get quite as tense this time, breathing in and out slowly. 

“Ready to go another round with the monsters?” he asked, spreading his hand across Keith’s back. 

“I’m all in.”

And so the night wore on, each strike of lightning bringing a new battle that the pair of them fought with all their might. Eventually, the strikes grew farther and farther apart, giving Shiro ample time to relax, and even fall asleep. Of course, by that time, Keith was quite tired himself, and before either of them knew it, they were fast asleep in each other’s arms.

 

Keith was certain he’d never slept so well in his whole life. He woke feeling rested to his core. A contented sigh escaped him, and he relaxed into his pillow, drifting off once more to the sound of a steady heartbeat. 

Heartbeat. 

_ Oh _ . 

Memories of the night before trickled into the forefront of Keith’s mind- how close he’d been to Shiro, helping him fight away the monsters, seeing that softness in those eyes… 

Keith sat up quickly, prepared for that feeling in his bones to start telling him to run. But as his eyes flew open, he caught sight of Shiro- already awake and staring at him. The urge to run never came. 

“Morning,” Shiro said, voice rough with sleep. 

“Morning,” Keith echoed, staring at how Shiro’s mouth looked so early in the morning. His lips were so… soft looking. And now they were twisting into a small smirk. Keith blushed and looked away, combing his hair back with his fingers to give him something else to think about. 

“I, uh, wanted to thank you for last night,” Shiro said, arm coming to rest behind his head. His eyes never left Keith. “Not many people can handle me when I’m like that.”

Keith opened his mouth to reply, but Shiro shook his head, arm moving from behind his head to prop him up. 

“I- I wanted to thank you,” he said, something in his voice that Keith had never heard before. Was that… nerves? “By asking you out to dinner. Like, um, on a date.” Shiro’s face turned red and he rushed to explain. “I- I wanted to ask you before, but I didn’t know how long you were going to stay, and then… then we didn’t talk and I- I missed talking to you…”

Keith was frozen in place. A date? With him? And Shiro? His heart started beating fast as he stared at the hopeful expression on Shiro’s face. How was he supposed to respond to this? Everything in his mind was screaming that this was a bad idea- that if he said yes, he’d get attached, that it’d be that much harder when Keith had to leave. But his gut said that it would be worth it- reminded him of how much he’d missed Shiro’s company as well.

Keith hesitated. Shiro’s face became carefully neutral. 

“You… don’t have to-”

“Yes,” Keith interrupted, not letting that thought go any further. “Y- Yes. I’ll go out with you. On a date. One date, at least.”

“How does tonight sound?”

“Like you’re desperate to get me in bed,” Keith teased, flashing Shiro a cheeky grin. 

“I  _ have _ you in bed,” Shiro retorted, grinning back. “You’re pretty great.”

Keith snorted, shaking his head.  _ What a dork _ . 

“So- tonight?” Shiro asked.

“Tonight,” Keith answered. Any apprehension he had at the answer fled when he saw the look on Shiro’s face. 

“I’ll pick you up at seven.”

 

Keith stared at himself in the mirror for the first time in a long time. He’d showered- also for the first time in a long time- so his hair was damp, and currently pushed out of his face. He wasn’t  _ quite  _ sure what to do with it, in all honesty. He’d dried it off with his towel, then let it sit as he’d pulled on the only jeans he owned that could be considered ‘nice’ and the red sweater that he wore when he was trying to convince people to buy his paintings. 

Looking himself over once more, Keith slid on his gloves and decided that this was about as good as it was going to get. Somehow that didn’t calm the shaky feeling in his chest. 

_ Come on, Kogane _ , Keith said, staring himself in the eye.  _ You got this _ . 

There was a knock on the bathroom door, right as Keith reached for the handle. He chuckled, expecting to see Shiro standing in wait, likely going to touch up his eyeliner and do something nice with his hair. When he pulled open the door, he found Shiro standing- completely ready- with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

“These are for you,” he said, smiling as he held them out. Keith was pretty sure he was blushing a little, which only made him blush more. “I, uh, picked them myself.”

“Thank you,” Keith said, taking the flowers from Shiro’s hand and staring at it. It was nice. 

“You’re welcome.”

They stood, awkwardly, for a long moment before Shiro suggested that they go. Keith hastily agreed, finding a cup to put the flowers in before they headed out the door. 

The drive wasn’t any less awkward- neither of them quite sure what to do or what to say. Stilted recounts of the days before were given, but nothing seemed to flow the way it usually did. Keith wondered if maybe this was a mistake- if the awkwardness was a sign that they should pack up and go home. 

Then Shiro laughed. 

“What?” Keith asked, smiling in spite of himself. 

“Oh, nothing,” Shiro replied, smiling at him as they continued down the road. “I was just thinking- I could take you out for pizza, but I don’t know if they allow pineapple pizza eating heathens in fine eating establishments.”

“They should,” Keith replied with a smile of his own. “Because the true heathens are those who  _ don’t _ like pineapple on their pizza. Trust me on this, Shiro.”

“Hmm… Don’t know that I can. Especially since the pizzeria specifically declined to answer our question.”

“They can’t let the truth get out- it’d cause civil unrest. I’ve been working on a whole board about it in my free time.”

Shiro laughed, and all the cares in the world seemed to fade away. 

“Have you?” he asked, pulling them into their parking lot. “Explains why you’ve been out so late the past few nights.”

“No, actually I, uh, just wanted to get some pictures. Of the stars.”

Keith had never been a good liar. Shiro shook his head and smiled softly. 

“We don’t have to talk about it yet,” Shiro said. Keith nodded, making a note of the  _ yet _ . ‘Yet’ was good. ‘Yet’ gave him time to think of an answer to the question that was inevitably going to come: how long are you staying? And quite possibly: what does that mean for us?

But for now, Keith didn’t have to focus on either of those questions. All he had to do was smile, take the hand that Shiro was offering him, and enjoy a lovely evening. On a date. 

 

The evening passed in a flash of laughter and enjoyment. Everything went smoothly- from the dinner to the chaste kiss on the cheek Keith had gotten outside his room. 

After that night, the routine became a bit different. The days were the same- Shiro helping people and animals find their match, while Keith found photos to take and got his coffee from Hunk. Evenings were still spent together, but more often than not, they happened with hands being held and careful, chaste kisses being given when they said goodnight. 

It was after a few weeks of this that they agreed to call each other ‘boyfriend’. It was about a week after that that they both came to each other, both confessing that they didn’t particularly want to have sex that much. 

Shiro had laughed at the situation, gathering Keith into his arms and kissing his forehead. 

“I should have known I’d found such an  _ ace _ boyfriend _ , _ ” he’d teased, practically bursting with happiness. Keith groaned and buried his head in his chest. 

“You’re the worst.”

After that, time seemed to fly. Weeks turned to months, almost without either of them noticing. The thrill of a new relationship settling so naturally into companionship that there was almost nothing to say about it. Well, perhaps there was one thing to say about it- one thing that neither of them had quite mustered up the courage to say aloud. 

But, declarations of love seemed kind of silly when you saw each other nearly every second of the day. At least, that’s what Keith told himself as he stretched out across Shiro’s lap, staring up at him while he talked about his day. 

“Oh, and Matt’s family is coming over for dinner tomorrow night,” Shiro said, hand combing idly through Keith’s wild black hair. “They wanna be in town when Matt gets back next week, and I thought it’d be nice to have them all over before the surprise party.” 

Keith nodded, frown falling across his face as he thought for a moment. He hadn’t realized quite what Matt coming home would mean. It would mean that he’d been there for nearly six months. It would mean that at least three of his photos had sold, and that he hadn’t thought about leaving. It’d mean that he wouldn’t have to sleep on a ridiculously orange bedspread anymore. Not that he slept on it much anymore as it was- he and Shiro opting to share a bed more often than not. 

But… what else would it mean? Shiro and Keith had never quite gotten around to that conversation. If it were anyplace else, if it were anyone else, it wouldn’t even be a conversation- because if it were anyone else, he would have been gone three months ago. 

Yet, as he thought about leaving- about just picking up and packing out without a trace- his heart twisted. It didn’t take long to get to the heart of  _ why _ , not when he was staring down at Keith with grey eyes filled with worry. 

“What’s on your mind?” Shiro asked, bringing the back of Keith’s hand to his lips. “You look like you’re thinking pretty hard.”

“I was just… thinking about what’s gonna happen when Matt comes back,” Keith said. “What it’d mean. For me. For us.”

Shiro nodded slowly, hand still in Keith’s. 

“I’ve been thinking about that, too,” he said. “What were you thinking about it?”

“I… was thinking that I don’t want to go,” Keith admitted. “That… I like getting coffee from Hunk and hanging out with you. Even Lance gets charming sometimes, in his own way.” Shiro chuckled. “That… leaving would be hard.” 

“Then don’t leave,” Shiro said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Keith smiled, nodding. 

“Alright then,” he said, bringing Shiro’s hand down for a kiss. “I won’t leave.”

And just then, it really seemed that simple. 

 

Shiro had been buzzing about all day, preparing for the Holts to arrive. He’d even cleaned his room- for possibly the first time in his life. Keith had made sure to tease him about that, standing in the doorway while Shiro piled laundry into drawers and baskets. Shiro had just laughed. 

Neither Keith nor Shiro boasted much of a skill for cooking, so they’d ordered out. Shiro had excitedly set the table, talking to Keith the whole time about Dr. Holt and Mrs. Holt and Katie, their daughter, who Shiro affectionately called Pidge. A nickname from Matt, apparently. 

Then at last, they had arrived, in a flurry of hugs and cheek kisses, Shiro greeted them all, and then introduced them to Keith. Keith had smiled, shaken their hands, and then followed them to the living room, where they talked about Matt, talked about Shiro growing up, talked about a million topics that Keith couldn’t understand or had nothing to add too. Not that he minded much. It was interesting, he thought, watching them all. They were all like what he thought a family should be like- bright and happy and  _ together. _

Eventually they moved to the kitchen table, where the food was served and more happy conversation was exchanged. Keith was occasionally asked a question, but his answers were never as wordy as the others. He didn’t mind. They were a family. He was Keith. It was a situation that Keith was familiar with. 

After dinner, there was more conversation- plans were finalized about the party for Matt, Keith was politely included as much as possible, and then they were gone. Shiro walked them out, closing the door behind them and looking back at Keith with a happy grin. He looked happier than Keith had seen him in a long time. He looked… complete. Keith wondered if that’s what always happened when you found a family. 

“That was great,” Shiro said, coming to the couch and flopping down, head leaning on his shoulder and hand finding his. “I forgot just how much Mrs. Holt knows about me. And Katie! Did you see her? She’s growing up so fast. Matt’s gonna have a heart attack when he sees her, and it’s only been six months!”

Keith hummed, leaning his head on Shiro’s, only half listening while he talked. His mind was turning, things finally feeling like they were clicking into place. It was clear now, what he had to do.

“Shiro?” Keith interrupted, untwining their hands as he stood from the couch. 

“Yeah?” Shiro said, confusion drawing his eyebrows together. What Keith said next broke his own heart.

“I can’t stay.”

Even if he hadn’t been looking at him, Keith would have been able to feel the hurt that rolled off of Shiro in waves. 

“W-What do you mean?” Shiro asked, furrow in his brow deepening. “Was- Did I say- Was it something I did- What-”

“No, no, you didn’t do anything, Shiro,” Keith said, stepping forwards as if to comfort him. 

“Then why?” Shiro asked, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. “Why are you doing this?”

_ Because you have a family. You have a life and people to love and who love you. And me, I love you, but I’ll never be enough for you. You need a family, and me, I can never be a family _ . All these thoughts ran through Keith’s head, but he couldn’t find the words to say any of them. 

“I- it’s complicated.”

“No,” Shiro said, tears falling down his cheeks as he stood. “No, it isn’t. Just yesterday- just  _ yesterday _ \- you decided to stay! It was simple! You didn’t want to leave!”

“I still don’t!” Keith said, voice growing louder, as if that would stop the tears in his eyes from falling. “But- But this is who I am! This is what I do! I leave! Leaving is the only thing that I have ever been good at!”

“You said you didn’t want to leave,” Shiro said, voice hoarse and tears still streaming down his face. “What changed, Keith?”

“Nothing,” Keith said, crossing his arms tight over his chest. “I told you. This is who I am.”

Shiro stood still, staring at Keith for a long moment before shaking his head. 

“I- I can’t talk  about this anymore,” he said, turning on his heel and walking towards his bedroom. He turned around at the last second, staring at Keith with an expression that made him long to take it all back- to wipe away his tears and do nothing but tell him that he loved him. Oh, how he loved him. But that was the problem, wasn’t it?

“This isn’t you, Keith,” Shiro said, wiping his tears away. “I know you. This isn’t you. Please- Just think it over before you do anything rash. Please.”

Keith didn’t even get a chance to respond before Shiro disappeared behind his bedroom door. 

 

Keith had his stuff packed in twenty minutes. Anything that had been left in Shiro’s room, he deemed lost. In the next twenty minutes, he’d bought a train ticket that left first thing in the morning. The next three hours Keith spent trying to write a note that wound up being only six words. 

_ I’m sorry. I love you. Goodbye. _

He was gone before Shiro woke up the next morning. 

 

The air at the train station was cold- it nipped at Keith’s nose and made him long for the sun. The day was bleak and foggy- the perfect match to Keith’s mood. He hadn’t slept at all the night before- tossing and turning, unable to get Shiro out of his head. Keith didn’t think it had ever been this hard to leave some place. 

Keith leaned against a pole- the same pole he’d seen Shiro leaning against all those months ago. It seemed so far away, then. When he had wanted to punch him just for standing there. Now, he’d give anything to see his face one last time. To hear his voice.

“Keith! Keith wait!”

Keith opened his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing. Shiro was running towards him, still in his pajamas, clutching his car keys in one hand and Keith’s note in the other. 

“Keith,  _ please _ , listen to me-” Shiro began, stopping in front of Keith, breathing heavily.

“Shiro, I told you-” Keith began, trying his best to look anywhere but at Shiro. This effort proved futile as Shiro grabbed his face, pressing their foreheads together and staring into Keith’s eyes. 

“I love you,” Shiro said. “I love you so much, Keith. I- I want to stand by your side, and I want to talk about pineapples on pizza and if it makes you a heathen, and I want to find the perfect places to take pictures with you, and I want to hear you talk about your day,  and I want to lay by your side every night and fight away your monsters the same way you fight away mine and  _ please _ Keith, please don’t go- or- or take me with you. I don’t care, I don’t care, I just want to be with you.”

“I-” Keith’s words failed him. Nothing seemed adequate enough to describe the turmoil that was going on in his mind. Slowly, however, the words came to him.

“I’m not- I’m not a family,” Keith whispered. “You, you and the Holts, you’re a family- I- I’m not a family. I break things, Shiro, I break them and then I leave and I don’t put them back together again. I don’t - I don’t want to break you because I’m not enough for you. I’ve never had a home before, Shiro, not until I met you and it scares me and I don’t want to lose it but I can’t break it. I just can’t.”

“You’re my family,” Shiro replied, relief lighting his whole being, as if to say ‘is that all?’. “Keith-  _ you  _ are all I have ever wanted and you are all that I need. You can’t break me because I’m already broken. But you? You make me feel whole again. So please- come home with me.  _ Stay _ .” 

Once more, Shiro had given him an option that sent his mind into turmoil. And once more, he pushed aside what was in his mind- but this time listened to what was in his heart. The answer was clear.

“Yes,” Keith said, leaning into Shiro’s embrace. “I’ll stay. For you. I’ll stay.”

A grin of relief split Shiro’s face, laughter warm enough to counteract the cool air escaping him. 

“I love you,” Shiro said.

“I love you, too,” Keith replied. 

And for the first time in his life, Keith Kogane had no plans to leave anytime soon. 


End file.
